[gnu.utils.bug] Gnutar questions

flanagan@blake.acs.washington.edu (Jim Flanagan) (07/13/89)

  I am trying to use gnu tar and have a couple of questions.
  When I use the command line:
	tar -M -c -v -f foo_file -N "$foo_date" -X /foo_exclude / 
  where $foo_date is of the standard date form, I get what seems to be all
of the directories on the system tar'd up regardless of their date, though not
necesarily any files in under them, plus
many files which have not changed since foo_date, but are under directories
which have changed since foo_date.
  Question 1: are these {known | never heard of it} {bugs | features}?
  Question 2: if they are features, can I turn them off?

  Thanks for any help,

  Jim Flanagan
  flanagan@startup.ms.washington.edu